Kevin Costner stars as Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, new to 4K UHD, filled with special features and a 4K restoration from Arrow Video.
The Film
It’s really hard for anyone not there to understand just how big a star Kevin Costner was in 1991 when Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was unleashed onto the world. Dances with Wolves had been released six months prior, winning Costner a Best Director and Best Picture Academy Award while making what’s the equivalent of $1 billion worldwide. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was the victory lap for Costner, who brought the midwestern Gary Cooper charm to the role. Compounded with a stellar cast, Kevin Reynolds’ sharp direction, and a truly inspired score by Michael Kamen, the film was the type of 90s action adventure that audiences flocked to in droves.
After being at war in the Holy Land for years, Robin of Locksley (Costner) returns home to England with Azim (Morgan Freeman), his comrade in arms, who owes him a life debt. Locksley finds his home in ruins, his lands stripped from his family, and his father murdered. Labeled an outlaw by the treacherous Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman), they are forced to join a gang led by Little John and his merry band of thieves. Locksley, a changed man, sees these acts of desperation as a call for revolution. As Robin begins to rob from the Sheriff to feed the poor, a folk hero is born. One who will risk it all, not just for the people but for the ones he loves.
The Crusader Robin aligns the film with a more modern update for the 1990s, as it was released in the wake of the first Gulf War (e.g., Desert Storm/Shield). Now, a War Vet, along with a trusty companion (don’t call Azim a sidekick) with father issues, is ripe with tropes that are nowhere to be found in the Curtiz Adventures of Robin Hood. It does make Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves a bit more self-serious, but that isn’t a bad thing. Yes, this is still a rousing adventure, but there’s more pathos and emotional (some would say melodramatic) spikes throughout the story. Part of the fun is seeing that much of the story has been all but tossed aside for its own updated version.
Costner, minus his infamous muddled English accent, is a solid choice for Robin. The star brings the gravitas and his very specific charm and star power to the role. Though the best choice is teaming up Costner with Morgan Freeman as the Moor Azim. Their friendship is the core and soul of the film. Yes, there is the Will Scarlett (Christian Slater) plot and Marian (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) love story, but they feel more pastiche (the love story heavily helped by the Michael Kamen score and the Bryan Adams all-time power ballad) than anything else. It’s Costner and Freeman’s chemistry that elevates some of the film’s action beats to some of the most rousing moments of adventure in the early 90s.
Though an adventure film is only as good as the villain in the film. The film’s biggest stroke of genius is the casting of Alan Rickman as the Sheriff of Nottingham. There are no words that can really convey just how much Rickman brings to the film. His work is devilish perfection. Even now, “and cancel Christmas” or “I’ll cut your heart out with a spoon” will cause fits of laughter. Though Rickman’s portrayal isn’t just laugh, there is true menace and pathos, especially in the extended version that gives the Sheriff more complexities and Rickman more scenery to chew.
The secret weapon of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is Michael Kamen and his iconic score. Even if you’ve never seen the film, you know Kamen’s score. It was a staple of not just movie trailers in the late 90s and early 00s, but also managed to be a part of sporting events’ edited packages. Kamen’s score does a lot of the heavy lifting during the film’s montages and action set pieces, as great scores do.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is big-budget studio filmmaking during the 1990s at its finest. It’s as buttery as the popcorn, you’ll chow down watching it on a Saturday afternoon. You’ll blink an eye and find the two and a half hours have flown by quicker than one of Robin’s arrows from his quiver.
The Transfer
The 4K restorations of both the theatrical and extended cuts from the original negative by Arrow Films, presenting both cuts in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible), is another grand slam for the boutique label. There isn’t a scratch or blemish throughout the entire runtime. The transfer is sharp with beautiful color reproduction in native 4K. The Dolby Vision/HDR encoding only enhances the viewing experience, giving the glowing luster that even the 35mm prints never had (this reviewer has seen the film multiple times back in 1991). Arrow continues to give blockbuster catalog titles from Warner Brothers quality releases collector’s want.
The Extras
They include the following;
Audio commentary with director Kevin Reynolds and actor Kevin Costner
Audio commentary with actors Morgan Freeman and Christian Slater and writers/producers Pen Densham and John Watson
Here We Are Kings: Making Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, a multi-part documentary
Robin Hood: The Myth, the Man, the Movie, an archival 1991 documentary hosted by Pierce Brosnan
One-on-One with the Cast, archival 1991 interviews with Costner, Freeman, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Slater and Alan Rickman
Bryan Adams “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” performance at Slane Castle, Ireland
Music soundtrack cues
Theatrical trailer
TV spots
Image gallery
The first of two Audio commentaries is an archival track with director Kevin Reynolds and actor Kevin Costner, beginning with their introductions before diving into why they shot the film in 1.66 rather than the normal 1.85 or the widescreen. Some of the details include a discussion of wanting to work together – even joking about the success of Waterworld; a discussion of the sound stage work and other cinematic tricks they used before the advent of CGI; Costner discussing the accent, or lack thereof, he attempted in the film; the other competing Robin Hood projects and how close he came to making the John McTeirnan directed project and how he came to be on this project; the collaboration with Alan Rickman for both Costner and Reynolds parts; Costner discussion of the tonal balance he had to ensure at the cost of “fun” because the material dictated it; a larger discussion of the action scenes and stunt work by stuntman Nick Guillard (who would eventually choreograph the lightsaber duels in the Prequel Trilogy) and stunt coordinator Paul Weston; a larger discussion of the various scenes cut from the film and restored in the extended cut; a larger discussion of the costume designs and the difficult job that John Bloomfield had; and much more. Recorded in 2003, the track is still a great commentary with a wealth of information, with the duo providing a conversational but relaxed commentary track.
The second Audio commentary is an archival track with actors Morgan Freeman and Christian Slater and writers/producers Pen Densham and John Watson, opens with the group doing introductions before diving into the film. Some of the details include a discussion of how they evolved the concept updating the story for the 90s; a discussion of the literary inspirations for the film; the evolution of the Morgan Freeman character and the actor’s initial thoughts about the role when it was offered to him; how they convinced Alan Rickman to take the role of The Sheriff of Nottingham; the advice that Freeman gave Densham writing dialog for an actor; advice writer/director Jay Roach (Densham’s writing assistant at the time) that he gave them; a larger discussion about their recollections of the various action scenes and making them; a discussion of the various locations used and their recollections of the production and sets; and much more. This track, also recorded in 2003, features the group recorded together for an interesting and informative track.
Here We Are Kings: Making Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (67:10) – is an archival making-of documentary from Arrow Video’s original 4K UHD release from the UK. The doc traces the origins of the project with producer/writers Pen Densham and John Watson origins and parallelling their journey to Hollywood and eventually making the film detailing; the writing of the script; the three competing projects; the speed at which they production was coming together crewing up even before the above the line crew was set (which happens more often than one knows); how Costner got involved (and how all three projects wanted him); hiring Kevin Reynolds as the director; the production (including the creation of the sets, finding the various locations, the actual production shoot), the post production (including the composition of the iconic score by Michael Kamen, the test screening process, the troubles in post-production including Kevin Reynolds leaving the film and the studio brining in Mr. Fixit himself ace editor Stuart Baird), and the release (including the success at the box office and its legacy). Featuring archival interviews with stars Kevin Costner, Alan Rickman, composer Michael Kamen, and director Kevin Reynolds; and newly recorded interviews with producer/writer Pen Densham, producer/writer John Watson, director of photography Douglas Milsome, editor Peter Boyle, costume designer John Bloomfield, 1st Assistant Director David Tringham, actor Daniel Peacock, art director John Ralp, set director Peter Young, production superior Malcolm Christopher, prop maker John Chisholm, stunt supervisor Rocky Taylor, and much more. This six-part documentary can be viewed individually or all together with a Play All Feature residing in a submenu.
Casting Spells with a Camera
The Catalytic Marriage
Finding the Forrest
Save my Performance
Action with Attitude
Journey’s End
Robin Hood: The Myth, the Man, the Movie (31:52) – an archival documentary that aired before the release of the film in 1991, hosted by Pierce Brosnan. The show, as the title suggests, discusses the myth of Robin Hood, the men and women who may have been the real-life historical figures the legend is based on, and the movie that they made. There is a surprising wealth of b-roll footage from the making of the film in this promotional featurette. One watches this and gets an overwhelming idea that, at this point, maybe Brosnan should have starred as the Prince of Thieves.
One-on-One with the Cast (19:15) – these archival interviews, taken for the press and EPK, can be accessed through a submenu. The actors discuss their history with the character of Robin Hood, the film, their character in the film, and more. The menu allows you to play them all at once through a Play All function or individually:
Kevin Costner (4:18)
Morgan Freeman (4:22)
Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio (3:41)
Christian Slater (3:43)
Alan Rickman (3:08)
Bryan Adams “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” performance at Slane Castle, Ireland (4:17) – it’s from a live performance, unfortunately, not the original music video for the film.
Music soundtrack cues (50:15) – the entire iconic Michael Kamen score in 5.1 surround has been included here. Access through a submenu that allows you to play the entire soundtrack through a play all function or individual track. Each track plays over a production still from the film. They break down as such:
Overture and a Prisoner of the Crusades (8:26)
Sir Guy Gisborne and the Band in the Forest (7:24)
Little John and the Band in the Forest (4:49)
The Sheriff and his Witch (6:00)
Maid Marian (2:57)
Training Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (5:11)
Marian at the Waterfall (5:31)
The Abduction and the Final Battle at the Gallows (9:53)
Theatrical trailer (2:00)
TV spots (2:18) – Three TV spots are included and can be either played individually or through a play all function in the submenu.
A Legend (0:40) – two ads, one 30-second and one 10-second
A Love Story (0:40) – two ads, one 30-second and one 10-second
Fight for Justice (0:40) – two ads, one 30-second and one 10-second
Image gallery – two galleries can be selected from the submenu.
Publicity stills – consisting of 48 production stills.
Behind the Scenes – 9 behind-the-scenes stills.
The Final Thought
Arrow Video’s 4K UHD release of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is an upgrade in every sense of the word. Recommended!!
Kevin Costner stars as Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, new to 4K UHD, filled with special features and a 4K restoration from Arrow Video.
The Film
It’s really hard for anyone not there to understand just how big a star Kevin Costner was in 1991 when Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was unleashed onto the world. Dances with Wolves had been released six months prior, winning Costner a Best Director and Best Picture Academy Award while making what’s the equivalent of $1 billion worldwide. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was the victory lap for Costner, who brought the midwestern Gary Cooper charm to the role. Compounded with a stellar cast, Kevin Reynolds’ sharp direction, and a truly inspired score by Michael Kamen, the film was the type of 90s action adventure that audiences flocked to in droves.
After being at war in the Holy Land for years, Robin of Locksley (Costner) returns home to England with Azim (Morgan Freeman), his comrade in arms, who owes him a life debt. Locksley finds his home in ruins, his lands stripped from his family, and his father murdered. Labeled an outlaw by the treacherous Sheriff of Nottingham (Alan Rickman), they are forced to join a gang led by Little John and his merry band of thieves. Locksley, a changed man, sees these acts of desperation as a call for revolution. As Robin begins to rob from the Sheriff to feed the poor, a folk hero is born. One who will risk it all, not just for the people but for the ones he loves.
The Crusader Robin aligns the film with a more modern update for the 1990s, as it was released in the wake of the first Gulf War (e.g., Desert Storm/Shield). Now, a War Vet, along with a trusty companion (don’t call Azim a sidekick) with father issues, is ripe with tropes that are nowhere to be found in the Curtiz Adventures of Robin Hood. It does make Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves a bit more self-serious, but that isn’t a bad thing. Yes, this is still a rousing adventure, but there’s more pathos and emotional (some would say melodramatic) spikes throughout the story. Part of the fun is seeing that much of the story has been all but tossed aside for its own updated version.
Costner, minus his infamous muddled English accent, is a solid choice for Robin. The star brings the gravitas and his very specific charm and star power to the role. Though the best choice is teaming up Costner with Morgan Freeman as the Moor Azim. Their friendship is the core and soul of the film. Yes, there is the Will Scarlett (Christian Slater) plot and Marian (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) love story, but they feel more pastiche (the love story heavily helped by the Michael Kamen score and the Bryan Adams all-time power ballad) than anything else. It’s Costner and Freeman’s chemistry that elevates some of the film’s action beats to some of the most rousing moments of adventure in the early 90s.
Though an adventure film is only as good as the villain in the film. The film’s biggest stroke of genius is the casting of Alan Rickman as the Sheriff of Nottingham. There are no words that can really convey just how much Rickman brings to the film. His work is devilish perfection. Even now, “and cancel Christmas” or “I’ll cut your heart out with a spoon” will cause fits of laughter. Though Rickman’s portrayal isn’t just laugh, there is true menace and pathos, especially in the extended version that gives the Sheriff more complexities and Rickman more scenery to chew.
The secret weapon of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is Michael Kamen and his iconic score. Even if you’ve never seen the film, you know Kamen’s score. It was a staple of not just movie trailers in the late 90s and early 00s, but also managed to be a part of sporting events’ edited packages. Kamen’s score does a lot of the heavy lifting during the film’s montages and action set pieces, as great scores do.
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is big-budget studio filmmaking during the 1990s at its finest. It’s as buttery as the popcorn, you’ll chow down watching it on a Saturday afternoon. You’ll blink an eye and find the two and a half hours have flown by quicker than one of Robin’s arrows from his quiver.
The Transfer
The 4K restorations of both the theatrical and extended cuts from the original negative by Arrow Films, presenting both cuts in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible), is another grand slam for the boutique label. There isn’t a scratch or blemish throughout the entire runtime. The transfer is sharp with beautiful color reproduction in native 4K. The Dolby Vision/HDR encoding only enhances the viewing experience, giving the glowing luster that even the 35mm prints never had (this reviewer has seen the film multiple times back in 1991). Arrow continues to give blockbuster catalog titles from Warner Brothers quality releases collector’s want.
The Extras
They include the following;
The first of two Audio commentaries is an archival track with director Kevin Reynolds and actor Kevin Costner, beginning with their introductions before diving into why they shot the film in 1.66 rather than the normal 1.85 or the widescreen. Some of the details include a discussion of wanting to work together – even joking about the success of Waterworld; a discussion of the sound stage work and other cinematic tricks they used before the advent of CGI; Costner discussing the accent, or lack thereof, he attempted in the film; the other competing Robin Hood projects and how close he came to making the John McTeirnan directed project and how he came to be on this project; the collaboration with Alan Rickman for both Costner and Reynolds parts; Costner discussion of the tonal balance he had to ensure at the cost of “fun” because the material dictated it; a larger discussion of the action scenes and stunt work by stuntman Nick Guillard (who would eventually choreograph the lightsaber duels in the Prequel Trilogy) and stunt coordinator Paul Weston; a larger discussion of the various scenes cut from the film and restored in the extended cut; a larger discussion of the costume designs and the difficult job that John Bloomfield had; and much more. Recorded in 2003, the track is still a great commentary with a wealth of information, with the duo providing a conversational but relaxed commentary track.
The second Audio commentary is an archival track with actors Morgan Freeman and Christian Slater and writers/producers Pen Densham and John Watson, opens with the group doing introductions before diving into the film. Some of the details include a discussion of how they evolved the concept updating the story for the 90s; a discussion of the literary inspirations for the film; the evolution of the Morgan Freeman character and the actor’s initial thoughts about the role when it was offered to him; how they convinced Alan Rickman to take the role of The Sheriff of Nottingham; the advice that Freeman gave Densham writing dialog for an actor; advice writer/director Jay Roach (Densham’s writing assistant at the time) that he gave them; a larger discussion about their recollections of the various action scenes and making them; a discussion of the various locations used and their recollections of the production and sets; and much more. This track, also recorded in 2003, features the group recorded together for an interesting and informative track.
Here We Are Kings: Making Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (67:10) – is an archival making-of documentary from Arrow Video’s original 4K UHD release from the UK. The doc traces the origins of the project with producer/writers Pen Densham and John Watson origins and parallelling their journey to Hollywood and eventually making the film detailing; the writing of the script; the three competing projects; the speed at which they production was coming together crewing up even before the above the line crew was set (which happens more often than one knows); how Costner got involved (and how all three projects wanted him); hiring Kevin Reynolds as the director; the production (including the creation of the sets, finding the various locations, the actual production shoot), the post production (including the composition of the iconic score by Michael Kamen, the test screening process, the troubles in post-production including Kevin Reynolds leaving the film and the studio brining in Mr. Fixit himself ace editor Stuart Baird), and the release (including the success at the box office and its legacy). Featuring archival interviews with stars Kevin Costner, Alan Rickman, composer Michael Kamen, and director Kevin Reynolds; and newly recorded interviews with producer/writer Pen Densham, producer/writer John Watson, director of photography Douglas Milsome, editor Peter Boyle, costume designer John Bloomfield, 1st Assistant Director David Tringham, actor Daniel Peacock, art director John Ralp, set director Peter Young, production superior Malcolm Christopher, prop maker John Chisholm, stunt supervisor Rocky Taylor, and much more. This six-part documentary can be viewed individually or all together with a Play All Feature residing in a submenu.
Robin Hood: The Myth, the Man, the Movie (31:52) – an archival documentary that aired before the release of the film in 1991, hosted by Pierce Brosnan. The show, as the title suggests, discusses the myth of Robin Hood, the men and women who may have been the real-life historical figures the legend is based on, and the movie that they made. There is a surprising wealth of b-roll footage from the making of the film in this promotional featurette. One watches this and gets an overwhelming idea that, at this point, maybe Brosnan should have starred as the Prince of Thieves.
One-on-One with the Cast (19:15) – these archival interviews, taken for the press and EPK, can be accessed through a submenu. The actors discuss their history with the character of Robin Hood, the film, their character in the film, and more. The menu allows you to play them all at once through a Play All function or individually:
Bryan Adams “(Everything I Do) I Do It for You” performance at Slane Castle, Ireland (4:17) – it’s from a live performance, unfortunately, not the original music video for the film.
Music soundtrack cues (50:15) – the entire iconic Michael Kamen score in 5.1 surround has been included here. Access through a submenu that allows you to play the entire soundtrack through a play all function or individual track. Each track plays over a production still from the film. They break down as such:
Theatrical trailer (2:00)
TV spots (2:18) – Three TV spots are included and can be either played individually or through a play all function in the submenu.
Image gallery – two galleries can be selected from the submenu.
The Final Thought
Arrow Video’s 4K UHD release of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is an upgrade in every sense of the word. Recommended!!
Arrow Video’s 4K UHD Edition of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is out May 28th
Share this:
Like this:
Discover more from The Movie Isle
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.